


The Northern Dragon

by EvilMayDie64



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Aunt/Nephew Incest, But Jon is still a bastard, Character Death, Dark Jon Snow, Extramarital Affairs, Fluff and Angst, Forced Marriage, Heavy Angst, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Past Relationship(s), R plus L equals J, Secret Crush, Secret Relationship, Sexual Content, Slow Burn, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-03
Updated: 2017-09-04
Packaged: 2018-12-23 09:04:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11986611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EvilMayDie64/pseuds/EvilMayDie64
Summary: Jon Snow ran away from Winterfell at the age of 14, after getting into an argument with Ned Stark on who his mother was. He has since traveled the world and discovered his true parentage and name, Aegon Snow. After 6 years, Aegon returns home, and that couldn't make things more complicated.





	1. Aegon I

The sun rose as dawned the cold morning, the wind blowing hard across the plains of the North. The heat of summer was starting to cool off, leaving signs of winter beginning to unfold. Deep in the Northern valleys, rode a man cloaked in furs and black armor, his long silvery-gold hair waving across his shoulders as his dark grey eyes were set upon the landscape, his figure standing tall and proud amidst the Northern tundra, wearing a sword of Valyrian steel, Longclaw, with the pommel in the shape of a white wolf.

The cold could make every man shiver, but not Aegon Snow. When you’ve travelled as far beyond the Wall, in the Lands of Always Winter, a bit of cool air is nothing. The wildlings have called it “the Real North” and, after spending so much time with the Free Folk, Aegon could not even argue with that. All of the sudden, he remembered Ygritte, the warmth of her skin, the taste of her lips, the guilt of putting a sword through her heart when he escaped from the wildlings and rode south. He let out a sigh.

His thoughts shifted to his once home. When he left, Aegon, who still thought himself to be Jon Snow back then, only wanted to know who his mother was and Lord Eddard Stark only scolded him for that. He eventually found out who he really was in Pentos, in Magister Ilyrio Mopatis’ manse, through his mother’s private diary retrieved from the Citadel. It had stunned him to know he’s been lied to his whole life and there were more lies. Rhaegar Targaryen didn’t kidnap Lyanna Stark, they ran away together. His father wanted to marry his mother, for he needed a queen since Elia Martell died giving birth to Aegon Targaryen, but Lyanna was bethroed to Robert Baratheon. His parents had conceived him in the Tower of Joy, then when Robert rose in rebellion, Rhaegar left to fight in the rebellion, promising a pregnant Lyanna to spare Ned after winning the battle with Robert, to bring down his father from the Iron Throne once Robert dies, to wed her after he takes the throne and to legitimize their son. All this promises turned to dust when his father fell to Robert’s warhammer in the Battle of the Trident.

Aegon always wanted to prove that he was different from the other bastards, depicted as treacherous and particularly power-hungry. He guessed falling in love with his aunt and killing his uncle weren’t really proving that point. If he knew he would kill Viserys a thousand times for all the things he did, he could hardly get over the remorse of how loving Daenerys was wrong. He sometimes wondered if Daemon Blackfyre had felt the same remorse.

* * *

_**Flashback** _

 

_“Aegon. We have wedded and bedded our relatives for centuries, it’s different for us.”, Daenerys said, holding his hand._

  
_“I’m not a Targaryen”, Aegon replied solemnly. However, he kept her hand in his. His heart beat heavy in his chest, he was torn between the love he felt for her and the whispers in his head, telling him how wrong it was. His breathing was hard._

_“You are to me.”, she said, leaning against his chest._

  
_He could not hold it any longer, incest be damned! He pressed his lips against hers as his tongue made its way into hers, engaging in a hungry kiss. He did not know when, all of their clothes were lying on the ground as the two were making love in her tent, right behind Khal Drogo’s back. It was risky and it was wrong, but the only thing Aegon could feel was the embrace, the warmth of this woman who happened to be his long-lost aunt._

  
_When they were finished, Aegon took her hand in his._

  
_“I love you…”, he said._

* * *

 

Since then, Aegon has tried to learn how to live with it. The guilt was not as strong as before, but it still ached in his head from time to time. Yet, what could he do about it? Nothing.

  
Aegon wake from his thoughts as he approached the wooden gates of Winterfell. “I’m finally home”, he said, wondering if that’s how he could call it.

 


	2. The Beginning of the End

As the gates opened, Aegon rode his way into the courtyard of Winterfell. It was exactly as he remembered, bringing images of some bittersweet memories growing up as Jon Snow, as Eddard Stark’s bastard. However, he knew he must not get carried out by memories and forget the reason he came back, the oath he swore to Daenerys. He wanted to reconcile Houses Stark and Targaryen and make way for Dany to win the Iron Throne. He knew it should be hard, especially since King Robert was Ned Stark’s best friend, but the whole rebellion was built on a lie. He had to persuade his uncle to side with Daenerys once she sails for Westeros. But he can’t bring up the whole thing until Ned tells him the one truth he denied him six years ago. As he drowned in his thoughts, the horns blew, announcing the castle of his return.

 

* * *

 

 

Eddard Stark stood on his lord seat in the Great Hall, reflecting. Robert had sent a raven telling him he will come and visit Winterfell. Why would the King travel so far north? It had to be something important, but what?... He hasn’t seen Robert since the end of the Greyjoy Rebellion, and the thought of meeting him again after all this years made him as excited as worried.

His thoughts shifted to Jon Snow. He wondered what became of the boy who left Winterfell six years ago. Was he still alive? The day Jon ran away, Ned knew he failed to fulfill the promise he made to Lya on her dying bed. _Promise me, Ned._ He could hear the soft tunes of her fading voice, even now, ringing her last wish to keep her son safe from Robert’s wrath. As he thought on, the memories begun flashing in his mind.

He remembered the day Jon left. The boy was eager to discover new places and run away from his bastard status, to make a life for himself outside the walls of Winterfell. Ned argued that Winterfell was as much his home as was the home of his children, and he won’t be able to protect him if he left. Jon had argued that he was mature enough to take care of himself, to which Ned might have laughed if it wasn’t for the prospect of his nephew dying at a young age. However, then he asked a question that had the whole situation taking a bitter turn.

He asked about his mother. Ned knew he shouldn’t have let himself overcomed by angst and anger that very moment, but his dark emotions kept pulling out and he denied Jon the truth he always wanted in the most brutal way possible. That had caused a complete rift in the relationship between the two, their first and last real argument. That day, Ned remembered reflecting over what he said, his anger fading away, and walking towards Jon’s bedchambers with an apology in mind, only to find out the boy had disappeared with all of his stuff. He ran away from Winterfell and never came back.

Ned left out a sigh. If he could only get a chance to apologize… if that day ever came, he would tell him the whole truth surrounding his birth, and the reason he kept it for himself so long: the promise he made to his dying mother.

Suddenly, the horn blew, announcing a visitor. Ned rose from his seat and made his way out in the courtyard of Winterfell. He saw all of his children running towards a young man with silver hair and grey eyes… No, it couldn’t be… Is this all a dream?, he wondered as he approached them.

“Jon…”, he whispered gently in relief and surprise, his gaze falling upon the young man.

“Father…”, Jon whispered back with emotion in his voice. The two shared an intense hug. Tears filled Ned’s eyes for the first time in years as he held his nephew in his arms; the boy who had fled Winterfell six years ago had become a fine young man.

 

* * *

 

 

Days passed since Aegon’s return to Winterfell and he felt like he never even left. By all the gods, he did miss his cousins, they were the only brothers he ever had, he thought as he sat on the sill, one leg drawn languidly to his chin. Arya approached and seated himself next to him.

Aegon let out a laugh. “Shouldn’t you be working on your stitches, little sister?”

Arya made a face at him. “I just wanted to talk to you, that’s all.”

Aegon smiled. “I’ve missed you too, you know.”

They both engaged in a heart filled laugh.

“What have you been up to all these years?”, she asked.

“Many things, little sister, many things”.

“Care to share them?”, she asked, giving him her innocent looks, which she knew he could not refuse.

As Aegon spoke up, images of all that’s happened to him started flowing through his eyes, as he could see things the way they were. Being a guest at Castle Black, saving Lord Commander Mormont’s life from a wight and receiving Longclaw in reward, being captured by the wildlings in a ranging beyond the Wall, meeting with the King beyond the Wall, Ygritte, climbing the Wall, leaving for Essos, where he became a mercenary. He didn’t mention finding out his true identity or the time spent with the Targaryens, his nights filled with an addicting mix of lust, love and remorse as he spent them with Daenerys Targaryen.

Arya could only stare at him, listening to each word and being clearly amazed by what she heard. It was only when Catelyn Stark saw them that Arya raised.

“I should go back”, she said.

“Aye, you probably should”, he laughed.

As Arya turned away, Aegon saw the look Catelyn gave him. Of all the people in Winterfell, she was the most displeased to have him back in her husband’s castle. And it annoyed the fuck out of him. _I’m not your husband’s bastard, you heartless bitch._ And then, he raised, making his way into the crypts.

As he climbed the stairs and lit the candles, he could see the statues of the old Kings in the North and Lords of Winterfell. They all belonged here. But where did Aegon belong? With the Starks or with the Targaryens? _With neither_ , a voice with iron rings whispered inside his head. He stopped at Lyanna’s statue. Mother…

_I wish I could have known you_ , Aegon thought as he felt tears down his eyes. He lifted his hand upon the statue and brushed the carved face with his fingertips.

He turned around to see Ned.

“I thought I might find you here”, he said, his voice betraying nothing. Aegon only managed to put up a weak smile.

“So you know.”, he said.

“Yes, I know”, Aegon replied hoarsely.

“Jon, I was there when you were born. Your mother, she made me promise to protect you. She knew Robert would kill you if he’d find out about who you were.”

Aegon could feel tears in his eyes. “I understand, Uncle.”

Their moment was interrupted as the sound of a warhorn echoed through all the castle. The two men both rushed as they walked towards the castle walls. Outside the gates stood Robert of the House Baratheon, King of the Andals and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, ahead of an army.

Ned and Aegon looked at each other, and then at Robert, in shock.

“Eddard of the House Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North, you stand accused of high treason against the crown”, Robert proclaimed. “Surrender yourself and the bastard or my men and I will storm the gates.”

“Treason?”, Ned stared at Robert with mismatched eyes.

“Don’t play dumb with me, Stark. For years I have thought you to be my own brother, yet you protected Rhaegar’s bastard with the woman I loved, passing him off as your own illegitimate son.” Aegon could feel the blood flowing in his veins. The Spider, he realized. Selling secrets for his own skin. “You betrayed me, Ned. Now get ready to pay the prize”.

 

* * *

 

 

 

The Baratheon army was far larger than the Stark garrison, yet this small amount of men could very well hold the castle. Arrows were flying from one side to another, filling the ground with the smell of fresh blood, the stink of death.

Aegon charged against a Baratheon man, his blade cutting through the man’s chest as he fell of his horse and screamed in pain. He knew Winterfell’s garrison was too small to hold off the Baratheon army for a longer time, so he decided that killing off the enemy commander would end this quickly, as the army would certainly retreat if Robert was to be killed. And he also wanted vengeance for the Battle of the Trident.

Three men charged at him, but Aegon brushed all of them off using two blades, Longclaw and a longsword. Having Valyrian steel definetly helped him, he thought as he disarmed the men and cut through their chests. He made his way through this storm of men, only to see Ned and Robert engaged in a duel. Even fat, Robert could still wield a Warhammer without problems, while Ned was struggling to stop Robert’s attacks with Ice. One wrong move, Ice fell off and Robert hit Ned in the chest with fury. Lord Stark fell off his horse, bleeding.

As Stark men charged at Robert, Aegon ran towards Ned, kneeling to the ground as he held his uncle in his arms.

“Don’t die now!”, he said, tears falling from his eyes. “You were more my father than Rhaegar Targaryen ever was. I don’t want to lose you.”

Ned gave a faint smile. “I have loved you like a son, Jon. I can’t be more glad to die for you, knowing that I did my best to fulfill my promise to your mother. She would be so proud of you”, he said what were his last words, as he succumbed to his wounds and died in Aegon’s arms.

Aegon felt a murderous fury drive him as he approached Robert Baratheon and charged against him. He retrieved Blackfyre, the ancestral sword of House Targaryen, using both this and Longclaw to fend off his blows against him and strike back. In that moment, Aegon realized the King’s weight was his weakness, so he sliced the leg of his horse, causing Robert to fall on the ground. With a hard blow from both swords, the Warhammer flew away, leaving the Usurper unarmed. “That’s for my father, Rhaegar Targaryen”, he said as he put Blackfyre through his chest. “And that’s for my father, Eddard Stark.”, he said as he did the same with Longclaw. “You bastard…”, Robert muttered as he gave his last breath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I suck at battle sequences, so this is, I guess, the best I could imagine. :/


End file.
